The Revenge of Mordor: The War of Mordor
by The Chuckinator
Summary: The Fellowship has reached Mordor to free Frodo from Sauron's control but Sauron has been waiting for them and declares war. The final battle for Mordor has begun and the fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance.
1. The Revenge of Mordor

The Revenge of Mordor Part III: The War of Mordor

The Sequel to The Revenge of Mordor Part II: The Quest to Mordor

A Lord of the Rings fanfic by TheChuckinator

Chapter I: The Revenge of Mordor

Mount Doom erupted violently, sending flame and smoke across the land. The sky grew dark as thunder echoed loudly. Flashes of lightning lit up the sky as the storm continued. At the tower of Barad-Dur, Sauron stood on the balcony, his eyes scanning for intruders. He showed no emotion as his face was concealed behind his helmet. Footsteps approached as his apprentice, Gorthaur, stood beside him.

"What news do you bring, my apprentice?" Sauron asked.

Gorthaur cleared his throat. "My Lord, the other day Cirith Ungol was captured. Every Orc in the fortress is dead."

Sauron turned to face him. "What? Who would dare to attack the fortress?"

"My palantir tells me that it was Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Pippin and Sam. They have ventured into Mordor and killed your Balrog, Gothmog. Now, as we speak, they are planning an attack on Barad-Dur."

A hiss of anger came from the Dark Lord. "So, they intend to start a war. Well, if it is war they want, it is war they shall get." Sauron turned and walked inside, looking down at the palantir. In it, he could see Gandalf and Aragorn talking about freeing Frodo from Sauron's control. He whirled around and glared at Gorthaur.

"You speak the truth, Gorthaur. They are at Cirith Ungol; how they captured it, I am not sure."

"What did you see?"

"They are plotting to free you from my control."

Gorthaur's eyes widened. "That shall never happen; I have no wish for them to free me. I am at your command, Master."

Sauron grinned. "Good. You have been a faithful servant, and I have no intention of freeing you."

"You still have much to teach me about the Dark Arts."

"You have much potential, and I have seen what you can do. Now, I want you to go tell the Nazgul to attack them. Also, send in the Spirits of Mordor."

Gorthaur frowned. "An ambush? We tried that last time; are you sure it will work?"

Sauron sneered evilly. "A good point; our last ambush on them failed." he frowned in concentration. "I'll add a bonus...if the Nazgul fail again, send in the werewolf."

"Merry?"

"Now that one of their friends is a werewolf under my control, they will be distracted. Our plan will work, I assure you. Now go!"

Gorthaur bowed and left the room, wondering if Sauron was right. If not, their plan to ambush Cirith Ungol would be futile. He went down a flight of stairs and into a room where the Nazgul were waiting. They bowed as he walked in.

"Rise," Gorthaur said, and they did so. "My master Sauron wants you to go to Cirith Ungol, which the Fellowship has captured. Take it back, do you understand?"

The Nazgul nodded, mounted their dragons and flew off toward Cirith Ungol, eager for battle.


	2. Attacking Cirith Ungol

Chapter II: Attacking Cirith Ungol

Gandalf, Aragorn and Legolas stood in the tower, looking out the window at Mordor. Sam walked up to them and cleared his throat.

"I was just wondering how we were going to free Frodo from Sauron's control," he asked.

Gandalf sighed and turned to look at him. "I'm not entirely sure yet, Sam. first I want to find out how Sauron rose from the dead. If we can do that, we may know how to free Frodo."

Aragorn spoke up. "I agree, Gandalf. We must know how Sauron came back to life. Where, though, could we find out?"

Gandalf started pacing, his gaze thoughtful. "I'll bet I can find some documents around Cirith Ungol. If not, then most likely Minas Tirith will have some."

Legolas walked up beside Gandalf and began to speak. "I did hear rumors that Cirith Ungol did have some documents about Mordor. They're in the dungeon; check them out later."

Sam looked at Legolas and asked, "Do you think Sauron will try to attack us while we're in Mordor, Legolas?"

Legolas nodded. "I believe so, Sam. He'd do anything to stop us on our quest. We must be on our guard."

Sam nodded and walked up to the watchtower. All of a sudden he saw shapes moving in the distance toward Cirith Ungol at an alarming rate. His eyes widened as he recognized the shapes as dragons with the Nazgul riding them. He sprinted inside and almost ran into Aragorn.

"Sam, do be more careful!" Aragorn scolded. His face turned from anger to concern as he looked at Sam, who was apparently out of breath. "What's wrong?"

"The...the Nazgul...they're heading straight for us!"

Aragorn's eyes widened. "We must warn Gandalf quickly."

He ran out the door, sword at the ready, shouting for Gandalf, Gimli and Legolas, who walked up to him.

"What is it, Aragorn?" Legolas asked.

"The Nazgul are heading for Cirith Ungol."

Legolas looked worried. "We have no choice, we must fight!"

"Can I help?" Pippin asked.

"Yes, you can. Pippin, we'll need you in your dragon form to help us fight the Nazgul!"

"Where do you want me to meet you?" Pippin asked.

"You can fly up to the tower. We'll be fighting the Nazgul there."

Pippin nodded and walked off.

Gandalf looked at Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli. "We must go at once; there is no time to lose!"

Aragorn nodded, sword at the ready. Legolas had his bow and arrows at his side, and Gimli was sharpening his ax. They raised their weapons and ran up to the tower, ready to defend Cirith Ungol.

* * *

Pippin went to his room and got out the dragon skin from his backpack. He looked at it and sighed.

_Alright__, _he thought. _Gandalf and the others are counting on me. First, though, I need to find a place to transform; my room's too small._

He walked out of his room and into the courtyard in front of the fortress. After checking to see if he had enough room to transform, he put the dragon skin over him. His hands began to change as the middle finger fused with his ring finger to become paws, leaving only four fingers. Sharp, black claws burst from his fingertips and toenails as his feet changed too, except that he had three toes instead of four. The legs and arms thickened with muscle, bones reshaping as they reversed, changing his posture to digitigrade and forcing him onto four legs. Black scales began to cover Pippin's body, causing his chest to deepen when scutes covered it. Long, sharp spikes shot out from his skin, running down his back and ending at the tip of his tail.

Pippin's hair fell out, only to be replaced by hard scales along with two curved pointed horns that grew out of his skull. His neck stretched, growing longer and wider, allowing bones in his face to crack, fusing his mouth and nose together to become a muzzle. The teeth in his mouth sharpened and lengthened into long fangs. He felt his tongue change, twisting and breaking apart, forking into two at the end like a snake's. His ears stretched out, becoming three spine fans. Two long bat-like wings erupted out of his shoulder blades. Pippin closed his eyes tightly as he felt his eyes sting, becoming slits and moving slightly to the sides of his head. When he opened them, he could see farther away, both in ultraviolet and infrared light. His senses increased as his hearing, smell and taste heightened greatly. His muscles twisted and rippled, strengthening and growing in mass across his body as he continued to grow larger until he reached an enormous size.

Finally the transformation finished. The dragon that was Pippin now stood towering above Cirith Ungol. It looked around and, with its heightened senses, could hear the sound of battle coming from the tower. With a growl that soon turned into a loud roar, it launched itself off the ground and flew off to help defeat the Ringwraiths.


	3. Battling the Nazgul

Chapter III: Battling the Nazgul

The Witch King flew on his dragon toward Cirith Ungol, along with the other Nazgul. He hissed in excitement as the tower grew closer and could see Gandalf, Pippin, Sam, Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli standing on the balcony.

"Master Sauron shall be pleased when we kill these pathetic humans!" he shouted. "Now, my fellow Nazgul, attack!"

Screeches filled the air as the Nazgul dove down upon the fortress, eager for the battle that they were starting.

* * *

Aragorn stood in shock as the Nazgul flew closer. He turned to Gandalf and started to speak. "What can we do, Gandalf? The Nazgul have dragons, and are invulnerable to weapons, except enchanted ones!"

Gandalf grinned. "You forget, their weakness is fire. Also I can hold them off with my magic."

"What about Pippin?" Legolas asked, standing beside Aragorn.

"Pippin is going to transform into a dragon and fly up here to the balcony to meet us."

Legolas nodded, and got out his bow and flaming arrow. The Nazgul came closer and stopped.

"What do you want, Ringwraiths?" he asked.

The Witch King hissed. "Our master Sauron wishes you dead. We failed last time, so we are here to try again."

Legolas scoffed. "Yeah, and you'll fail again." He tightened his arrow, and fired. The arrow hit the Witch King, who screamed in pain.

"It will take more than that to defeat me," the Witch King said, grinning.

The dragon the Nazgul were riding on hovered in the air as their riders jumped on the balcony and drew their swords, challenging Legolas, Gandalf and Aragorn. As Gandalf, Aragorn and Legolas drew their swords, a loud roar was heard in the distance. The Witch King looked up and saw a gigantic black dragon swoop down from the sky, taking a deep breath and letting out a stream of fire that engulfed the other dragons.

"Pippin!" Aragorn yelled.

The dragon flapped its wings, hovering in the air. The Nazgul's dragons recovered, roared, and attacked. They blew fire at Pippin, who countered it with his own flame. He flapped his wings and flew towards the dragons, opening his jaws to bear his fangs. A dragon clawed at him but he dodged it and bit the dragon on the neck. Blood appeared as Pippin dug his fangs into the dragon's scaly neck. The dragon roared in pain as Pippin let go, and blew out a jet of flame which burned the dragon, causing it to screech loudly.

* * *

As Pippin was fighting the dragons, the Nazgul battled Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf. They swung their swords, only to be blocked by Aragorn's blade. He looked at the Nazgul with determination in his eyes, and forced them back. The Witch King hissed but held his ground.

"You have grown stronger, Aragorn," he said. "However, you are not strong enough!"

He moved so fast that Aragorn could barely see him. The next thing Aragorn knew, he was being thrown backward and hit the wall. Aragorn winced as he got up, holding his sword outwards to defend himself.

"You won't win," Aragorn replied. "We'll find a way to free Frodo, defeat you and kill Sauron!"

The Witch King laughed. "Always the brave one, aren't you, Aragorn?"

Aragorn said nothing. He charged at the Nazgul and swung his sword, aiming to kill. The Witch King blocked it and they ended up in a deadlock. All of a sudden, the Nazgul screeched in pain as fire engulfed them. Aragorn looked around and saw Gandalf shoot fire out of his staff, burning them. They backed away and jumped off the balcony, landing on their dragons.

"You may have won this battle but we'll be back!" The Witch King shouted in anger. He was about to attack again when his eyes widened. Pippin hovered in front of him, growling ferociously. The dragon opened its mouth and exhaled a gigantic eruption of blazing hot flames that consumed every Ringwraith and set them ablaze with fire. This attack was so mighty and overwhelming, it caused the Nazgul to fly with all haste back to Cirith Ungol.

The black dragon roared loudly with victory and flew back to Cirith Ungol, circling the tower. It landed on the ground and reverted back to its human form. Its body started to shrink as the wings vanished into its shoulders. The muzzle started retracting, pulling the face inward and causing the teeth to shorten. The horns and spikes vanished as the neck shortened. Paws broke apart into hands and feet as the leg muscles shrank. Fingernails and toenails replaced claws. The dragon stood up on two legs as its tail and scales vanished. Finally, the eyes became round and changed to their normal color. When the transformation stopped, Pippin stood in the dragon's place and ran up to the balcony to meet Gandalf, Legolas and Aragorn.

"That was an amazing battle. What a victory we made!" he exclaimed.

Gandalf shook his head. "This is far from over, Pippin. I fear now that Sauron has lost, he will try again. We must be prepared; who knows what he will send next?"

"I agree with Gandalf, Pippin." Legolas said. "However, let us rest! This battle with the Nazgul has made me famished, and I am ready to eat."

Pippin nodded and ran off. Gimli looked at Gandalf and said. "Stop worrying, Gandalf, and come enjoy some food! All this fighting really worked up an appetite for me, as well."

Gandalf chucked as he smiled and followed Gimli and Legolas downstairs.


	4. The Werewolf of Barad Dur

Chapter IV: The Werewolf of Barad-Dur

"You are failing!" Sauron yelled at the Nazgul, extremely pissed off. "I told you to defeat the Fellowship, and you failed yet again!"

The Nazgul looked at Sauron, fear in their eyes. Gorthaur stood beside him, apparently unimpressed with the Nazgul's failure.

"It won't happen again, Master," the Witch King told him.

Gorthaur sneered. "Answer me this, Witch King: my master Sauron sends you on a simple mission, and yet you fail. Why?"

The Witch King gulped and looked at Gorthaur nervously. "It was the dragon, Gorthaur. It attacked our dragons, forcing us to do combat with Gandalf, Aragorn and Legolas. They bested us so we jumped on our dragons to retreat. Before we could, though, a huge black dragon hovered in front of us. It blew a jet of fire that engulfed us instantly, so we came back here."

Gorthaur and Sauron stood silent for a moment, taking in what the Witch King had said. Finally, Gorthaur spoke. "So, this dragon of theirs is turning out to be a formidable opponent. We must find a way to turn it to our side, or at least cast a spell on it that will make us control it."

Sauron nodded and looked at the Nazgul. "We shall focus on the dragon later. You have done enough for now, so I think I shall try something different."

The Witch King's eyes widened. "You don't mean..."

Sauron sneered. "Now that we have Merry under our control, it is time to send him out!" He looked at Gorthaur. "Go and find Merry, it is time to unleash the werewolf of Barad-Dur!"

Gorthaur nodded and walked outside. He scanned the area until he saw the werewolf eating the remains of a goblin. It looked up when Gorthaur came closer.

"You know what you must do," he said to the werewolf.

The werewolf howled then started running across the plains toward Cirith-Ungol.

* * *

Gandalf, Legolas, Aragorn, Sam and Pippin sat at the table eating dinner when they heard a loud howl. Sam dropped his fork and listened intently.

"What was that?" he asked.

Everyone stopped eating and strained their ears. The howl came again, louder this time.

"It sounds like a wolf," Gimli stated.

Sam ran out to the balcony and looked. His eyes widened in fear when he saw a wolf running toward Cirith Ungol. He backed away in fear and ran back to the table.

Aragorn looked at him curiously. "What is it, Sam?"

"There's a wolf headed straight for the tower!" he exclaimed.

"It must be Merry," Gandalf told them. "It looks like Sauron has sent him to battle us!"

"What shall we do?" Sam asked.

Gandalf looked at Sam. "You must transform into a werewolf and fight Merry."

"Are you going to stay here?"

Gandalf nodded. "I know I said that the only way to kill a werewolf was with silver but I found out a few days ago that a werewolf can also kill another werewolf. Since you turn into one while wearing Draugluin's werewolf skin, you can kill Merry."

Sam nodded and ran to his room. He pulled the werewolf skin of Draugluin out of his backpack and ran to the courtyard. In the distance he could see Merry running swiftly toward him. He sighed in frustration and covered his body with the werewolf skin. Once he put it on, the transformation began. His hair follicles started itching before thick black fur shot out of his skin, covering his entire body. Muscles in his legs and arms started to stretch as they grew stronger. Bones fractured, snapping out of place before moving, physically changing his legs and arms to a different posture and forcing him onto four legs. His hands and feet started to thicken, pushing against each other as they merged into three digits, becoming paws. Sharp, thick black claws burst out of his feet as his fingernails and toenails vanished completely.

His body began to grow, causing the muscles in his abdomen to expand and ripple across his body, strengthening in mass and density. Internal organs shifted, twisting into new shapes. Sam gasped in pain as he felt bones in his chest and torso crack, moving around and expanding, Suddenly, his ribs started to grow as the bones split apart and moved forward a little. The heart and lungs expanded in size, growing larger to support the new muscles in his body. Sam's spine grew outward, causing his body to lengthen. A pressure built up in his tailbone and stopped when a tail pushed out of the back of his spine. His face started to change as the ears were tugged to the top of his head, becoming pointed and taking on a triangular shape. More bones cracked, pushing his face outward as his nose and mouth fused to form of a long snout. The teeth in his mouth started to fall out, causing razor sharp fangs to force their way through the gums. The nose at the end of his muzzle turned black, and his senses and instincts heightened. Finally, the color of his eyes changed to a golden-yellow.

Sam knew the transformation was finished when he felt the pain leave his body. He stood panting for a minute, then raised his head and howled. Growling ferociously, he ran out to confront the werewolf that Sauron had sent.


	5. Clash of the Wolves

Chapter V: Clash of the Wolves

Sam ran swiftly on all fours to catch up to the werewolf, who was running in his direction. Once they saw each other, they stopped in their tracks and immediately started growling. Surprisingly, they could understand each other.

_Why are you blocking my path, skin changer? _the werewolf asked.

Sam was shocked. _How did you know I can shapeshift? _he growled back.

The werewolf looked amused. _I saw you transform as I was running towards you. Now, I ask again: why do you block me?_

_We know that Sauron sent you to fight us. I have come to stop you...Merry.  
_

This shocked the werewolf. _So, you plan to kill me? That will not happen; I will survive and report this to master Sauron._

_You are a slave of Sauron, Merry, _Sam whined. _Y__ou were human once but Sauron captured you and turned you into this. We shall free you, and Frodo also._

_Do not call me that!_ Merry snarled ferociously. _If you shall not move, I will fight you!_

_So be it, _Sam growled.

They got into a fighting stance, bearing their fangs at each other and growling savagely. The wolf that was Sam laid its ears back and took a step forward. It growled at the werewolf, who interpreted this as a challenge. The two wolves circled each other, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Suddenly, the werewolf launched itself at Sam, who howled in pain as sharp claws were slashed across his face. Blood dripped from the wolf's muzzle as it roared in anger. It pounced on the werewolf, knocking it to the ground. The werewolf struggled to get up but recovered quickly and, with a heave, threw the wolf off. Sam landed on the ground with a thud and didn't move. The werewolf got up and eyed it carefully.

_It looks like you are too weak to defeat me, _the werewolf told Sam.

The wolf that was Sam suddenly pushed itself to its feet and growled ferociously, flattening its ears against its head and exposing long, sharp fangs. With a huge leap, it pounced once more at the werewolf with such force that sent them both tumbling to the ground. Sam landed on top of the werewolf and was opening his jaws wide, bearing to kill. He growled and dug his fangs into the werewolf's shoulder. The werewolf howled in pain as blood flew from the wound. Suddenly, Sam ripped his fangs out of the wound but continued to pin the werewolf to the ground.

_What are you doing? _the werewolf whined. _You have the chance to kill me!_

Surprisingly, the black wolf hesitated. _No_, it growled at the brown werewolf. _I shall let you live, for now. Go back to Sauron, Merry, and tell your master that we will fight. _It lifted its paw off the werewolf's chest, waiting.

_You'll regret this! _The werewolf got up and howled, furious. _The next time we meet, I shall kill you!_

Sam looked at it and growled threateningly. _Leave now, or I won't show any mercy._

The brown werewolf took one last look at Sam before it turned tail and ran, heading for Barad-Dur. Once it was gone, the black wolf that was Sam howled loudly and returned to Cirith-Ungol, looking forward to a rematch._  
_


	6. Discussions

Chapter VI: Discussions

Inside the tower of Cirith-Ungol, Legolas and Pippin waited in the dining room for Sam to return. Gandalf, Aragorn and Gimli had gone out on the balcony to see if they could sight the werewolf. Legolas eventually got bored of waiting and started chatting with Pippin.

"So, what's it like to be a dragon?" he asked.

Pippin grinned. "It's amazing; I can't even describe the feeling. When I transform it feels like I'm invincible, and that I can do anything. The strength of the form is amazing. My scales are hard as armor, and my muscles are massive. The size of a dragon is gigantic, I feel so powerful. Also, the ability to breathe fire is really cool."

Legolas nodded. "What's your favorite thing about the transformation?"

"I would say...flight. It's just because when I'm flying, I feel so free in the air. The wings that enable me to fly are just awesome, they're very strong muscles that hold me up. Also, the wind blowing past me is pretty cool. I feel so comfortable when I'm a dragon; it's like it's my true form or something. Heck, I wouldn't mind if I became a dragon forever!"

The elf was shocked. "You'd...give up your humanity to permanently be a dragon? Don't you realize that dragons are immortal?"

Pippin nodded.

Legolas was about to say something else when a loud howl broke the silence. He looked up and saw a black wolf run into the room. Moving on instinct, he grabbed his bow and arrow, ready to defend himself. The wolf saw what he was doing and growled angrily, exposing its fangs.

"Legolas, what are you doing?" Pippin yelled. "That wolf is Sam!"

The wolf stopped growling instantly and started to transform back to its human form. The sharp black claws on its feet retracted into its paws, replaced by toenails and fingernails. Its paws broke apart into five fingers and toes, becoming hands and feet. Black fur receded into the wolf, revealing human skin. Its tail disappeared as the wolf's body posture began to change, shifting to a bipedal form. The wolf's face sank inward, causing the ears to become round. The long, sharp fangs in its mouth retracted into the gums and were replaced by human teeth. Finally, the eyes became round and changed color from golden-yellow to blue. When the transformation finished, Sam stood in the wolf's place.

"Well," Sam said as he took of the wolf skin and stuffed it into his backpack. "There's no reason to try and attack me, Legolas."

Legolas lowered his bow and put it away, looking embarrassed. "Sorry," he told Sam. "I didn't know it was you.

"You've seen me in that form before; how could you not recognize me!" Sam exclaimed, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Gandalf walked into the room followed by Aragorn and Gimli. They sat down at the table and looked at Sam intently.

"So, did you kill Merry?" Gandalf asked.

Sam hesitated, then shook his head. "I decided not to. I'm not really sure why I let him go."

Aragorn sighed, frustrated. "Well, you'll get another chance. For now, though, we must decide how to free Frodo."

"There must be a way," Gimli said. "We cannot allow this madness to go on forever. Sauron is probably planning to start another war; we must find out how to defeat him!"

Pippin looked at Gandalf. "Is there anything you can find out about how Sauron came back to life? Maybe if you do, we can find a way to free Frodo."

Gandalf thought about this. Finally, he nodded. "I'm sure I can find something in writing either here or in Minas Tirith. We cannot stay in Cirith-Ungol for long, though. In a few days, we shall explore Mordor. In the meantime, I must go to Elrond and talk about our predicament. I will also see Galadriel too. Aragorn is in charge until I return."

They all nodded. Gandalf said a teleportation spell under his breath and vanished in a flash of light.


	7. Advice From Elrond

Chapter VII: Advice from Elrond

Gandalf appeared in Rivendell and looked around. He sighed and walked up the steps to see if Elrond was there. He waited a few minutes and then started walking away. Elrond walked out of a room and looked at Gandalf.

"What is it, Gandalf?" He asked. "I didn't know you were coming."

The wizard turned around and sighed heavily. "I must talk to you, Elrond," Gandalf told him. "It is very urgent."

Elrond frowned. "What do you wish to discuss?"

"It's about Frodo and Sauron. I'm afraid Sauron has started to send his forces to Cirith Ungol, where we are staying, to battle us. These past few days he has sent his Nazgul and just today he sent a werewolf."

Elrond frowned. "You think he means to start another war? What will we do?"

Gandalf shook his head. "I don't know. If he does, though, we must be ready. Also, I have to find out how he came back to life. If we do, we may find out how to kill him for good and also free Frodo and Merry."

Elrond looked up, shocked. "He has Merry under his control now? How?"

"It happened a few weeks ago. The Nazgul captured him and transformed him into a werewolf permanently. Merry was the werewolf that Sam fought today."

"Sam fought him?"

Gandalf nodded. "I have some enchanted wolf and dragon animal skins that I found. With them, Pippin can transform into a dragon and Sam into a wolf. They might be able to help once the war begins."

They began walking down the hallway as they talked. Finally they reached the room where Elrond's palantir was. The half-elf was deep in thought when he nodded.

"Yes, that is an excellent idea. You may also be able to find more enchanted skins to see if anyone else would want to transform into animals. Unfortunately, I do not know how Sauron came back to life. You could find out through some books in Minas Tirith or Cirith Ungol. I do know that Galadriel could help you; she could possibly tell you what you need to know."

"What about a possibility of war?" Gandalf asked.

Elrond sighed. "If Sauron does decide to start a war, we will need all the help we can get. My troops shall prepare; you should ask the soldiers of Minas Tirith to help also. Your first and most important priority is to find out everything about Sauron's resurrection. That may expose his weakness."

"Thank you, Elrond."

"You are most welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to. I will speak to you soon."

He left without another word. Gandalf smiled and teleported to Lothlórien to see Galadriel.


	8. Gandalf's Vision

Chapter VIII: Gandalf's Vision

Galadriel stood in the city of Caras Galahad, waiting for Gandalf. Elrond had contacted her via his palantir and told her Gandalf was coming. She seemed interested on what he told her about Sauron, especially when she had seen a vision in her mirror. Suddenly, a bright light appeared out of nowhere and faded. Gandalf walked up to her and bowed his head respectfully.

"My Lady, I am happy to see you again," Gandalf said.

Galadriel smiled and walked up to him. "I have been expecting you, Gandalf. Elrond just contacted me; you and I have much to talk about."

The wizard nodded and started walking with Galadriel. "I assume you have known that Sauron has come back to life and has turned Frodo?" he asked.

"I have," Galadriel replied. "My mirror has shown me many things. You have gotten the Fellowship back together and are on a quest to defeat Sauron and free both Frodo and Merry. What I do not know, however, is that you will succeed."

Gandalf looked at Galadriel sharply. "What do you mean, you do not know?"

"The future is always in motion, Gandalf. Sauron is terribly stronger than before, therefore I do not know what the outcome will be this time."

"Haven't you seen it in your mirror?"

Galadriel shook her head. "I have only seen what has transpired. The mirror has not shown me the future yet; perhaps now it will."

They walked down a winding staircase and into a large room. In the center was a basin filled with water. Galadriel spread her hands around it, making the water bubble. She stepped backward and motioned to Gandalf to step forward. He hesitated for a second and then looked into the mirror. The water vanished and was replaced by a vision.

Gandalf's eyes widened at what he saw. Sauron and his minions were battling the Fellowship and the soldiers of armies of Rivendell and Minas Tirith and won; Sam and Pippin transformed into a wolf and dragon permanently but this time turned to evil. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf had been put to death. The images continued to fly past Gandalf as he took in what he saw. Many people were either put to death or became evil minions. But the worst image, and the last that Gandalf saw, was that Sauron had made another Ring as the entire land of Middle-earth was destroyed and ruled over by Sauron and Gorthaur.

The vision faded and Gandalf looked up at Galadriel, gasping for breath.

"I know what it is you saw," Galadriel told him. "For it is also in my mind. It is what will happen if you should fail."

"What shall we do?" Gandalf asked her. "We cannot allow this to pass; we must defeat him!"

"I agree, Gandalf. Sauron will soon start a war, one that will be even greater than the War of the Ring. You must recruit all you can, and find out how Sauron came back to life. If you do, you may find out how to kill him."

"Don't you know?"

Galadriel shook her head. "I have never heard of a Dark Lord possessing the power to bring the dead back to life. The only answer would be in Mordor."

"Then Mordor is where I shall look," Gandalf told her. "I must go now but I shall see you again soon."

Galadriel smiled as Gandalf said goodbye and vanished in a flash of light.


	9. Return to Cirith Ungol

Chapter IX: Return to Cirith Ungol

In the tower of Cirith Ungol, the rest of the fellowship waited for Gandalf to return. Aragorn sighed and glanced at Sam and Pippin, who were talking to each other. He walked over to them and cleared his throat.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked them.

Sam looked at him. "Oh, we're just talking about how Sauron is thinking about starting a war. If he does, we'll be ready."

Aragorn nodded. "Well, Gandalf is bound to find out his weaknesses. He'll return soon, and probably have news for us."

They sat down and waited. A few minutes later, a bright light shone in the room. When the light faded, Gandalf appeared and walked towards them.

"We must leave immediately; there's no time to waste."

"What's wrong, Gandalf?" Gimli asked.

"I have had a terrible vision. Sauron is going to start a war soon, and I have seen what will happen if we fail. We must find out his weakness!"

"Where will we go?"

"I'm not sure yet. Elrond told me that there are some documents about Sauron in the basement of Cirith Ungol. I must go and look them up; it will take a few minutes." He turned and faced Aragorn. "I want you to go out to the balcony to keep a lookout. If Sauron decides to attack, be ready to fight."

Aragorn nodded and watched Gandalf rush downstairs. He looked at Legolas.

"You heard what Gandalf said, get out to the balcony!"

Legolas nodded and motioned for Gimli, Sam and Pippin to follow him. Aragorn led the way as they walked out to the balcony, looking out across Mordor. They failed to notice a shadowy figure on the ground smirk and vanish in a puff of black smoke.


	10. Planning a War

Chapter X: Planning a War

Gorthaur teleported back to Barad-Dur after spying on the Fellowship. Sauron had heard that Gandalf was leaving, so he sent Gorthaur to see why. As Gorthaur walked up the stairs to Sauron's throne room, he thought about what Gandalf had said when he returned. Unfortunately, Gorthaur would have some bad news to tell his master.

He walked into the room and bowed. "My Lord Sauron, I have completed the task you have sent me to do," he said.

Sauron whirled around and looked at Gorthaur. "What news do you bring, my apprentice?"

"Gandalf has returned to Cirith Ungol. It seems that he went to speak to Elrond and Galadriel."

Sauron nodded. "I assumed he would do that. What did he say when he returned?"

"He told Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli that they would be leaving Cirith Ungol soon. He said that he was going to find your weakness and use that to defeat you."

Sauron's eyes widened. "If he finds out about the Palace of Resurrection, it will ruin everything. Make sure he does not discover it!"

Gorthaur tensed. "What would you have me do?"

"You must stall them. As soon as they leave, send every Orc and goblin as you can. Distract them from reaching the Palace. I highly doubt they know where it is, anyway."

"And if they reach it?"

"Then we will start a war. Prepare everyone of my minions for battle. We will strike as soon as we can!"

Gorthaur nodded and started to leave. However, one last thought struck him and he turned around. "Will they know exactly how to use the Palace's ritual?"

Sauron sneered. "I will see to it that they don't. Now, go!"

A flash of smoke appeared in the room as Gorthaur teleported away, ready to do Sauron's bidding.


	11. Sauron's Weakness

Chapter XI: Sauron's Weakness

Inside the basement of Cirith Ungol, Gandalf was browsing documents of the history of Mordor. He looked through them but there was nothing about how Sauron was resurrected. Sighing in frustration, he paced the room, glancing at the documents he had pulled from the shelves. Gandalf was about to go upstairs when a book caught his eye. It lay on a shelf, covered with cobwebs. He took it out and opened it carefully. His eyes widened as he scanned the pages.

"Yes...this is it!" he excitedly said to himself, and began to read.

_The Dark Lords of Mordor have ruled this land for centuries, starting with Melkor. He was originally an Ainur, one of Eru Ilúvatar's servants. He fell from grace and became the Dark Lord Morgoroth. He captured elves and tortured them, transforming them into the first Orcs. In his fortress Angband, he kept the Silmarils, jewels of enormous power. However, he lost them to Beren and Luthien. _

_Sauron was Melkor's lieutenant and servant. he was a little less powerful than Melkor but grew in might and followed in Melkor's footsteps. He seduced many men and beasts to evil, and even killed some. Years passed as Melkor and Sauron waged war against elves and men. When the war was over, Sauron had grown too powerful and murdered Melkor. He then went on to seek immortality. If he was killed, he would use a resurrection potion to bring himself back to life. The only way to truly kill him is to use the Palace of Resurrection to create a potion that would drain his life force, making him vulnerable enough to kill him. The ingredients to the potion are located in the Palace of Resurrection, which is in the castle of Durthang in the Mountains of Shadow._

Gandalf closed the book, grinning. He walked upstairs and onto the balcony where Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship were waiting. They turned and looked at him when he held up the book.

"I found a way to defeat Sauron!" he said excitedly.

Sam sighed in relief. "That's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "How do we kill him?"

"We must travel to the clasle of Durthang. It lies in the Mountains of Shadow, and might take a day or two to get there. No doubt Sauron will try to delay us, so I will be expecting a few battles."

"When do we leave?" Aragorn asked.

"We shall rest here tonight, and then leave tomorrow morning.. Finally, we shall defeat this evil once and for all!" Gandalf told them.

The others agreed and walked back inside, discussing the plan for the next day.


	12. The Road to Durthang

Chapter XII: The Road to Durthang

The next day, Gandalf met everyone in the courtyard of Cirith Ungol. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli stared at him, waiting for him to speak. Pippin and Sam were fidgeting nervously, waiting for them to leave.

Finally, Gandalf cleared his throat and spoke. "It is about time to go. I have looked at a map of Mordor and have chosen our route that will take us to Durthang."

"Where shall we go, Gandalf?" Aragorn asked.

Gandalf took out the map and placed it on the table. Everyone gathered around to see what route he had chosen when Gandalf pointed at the map.

"We shall go along the Mountains of Shadow once more. There shall be a road that leads to Durthang but it is high in the northern mountains. We shall have to go along the pass of Isenmouthe; however, it is highly guarded. After that, the castle will be in view. Unfortunately, we shall have to go through an underground passage to reach it."

Legolas nodded and then spoke. "How long will it take to reach Durthang?" he asked.

"Three days," Gandalf told him. "Now, is everyone ready to go?"

They all nodded and Gandalf led the way. Mountains could be seen in the distance as the left Cirith Ungol behind.

"How far is it to those mountains, Gandalf?" Sam asked.

"Those are the Mountains of Shadow, Sam," Gandalf replied. "It will take about ten minutes to reach them."

Sam shook his head. _It would be so much easier for me to run there as a wolf_, he thought.

Ten minutes later, they had reached the mountains. There was a path running through it leading to Durthang. Gandalf went first and looked around cautiously. Seeing there was no one there, he motioned for the Fellowship to follow him. They cautiously walked down the path, hoping not to be seen. A few minutes later, they saw a large opening in the cliff. Aragorn approached it and looked.

"What is it?" Legolas asked him.

"It appears to be some sort of cave," Aragorn responded, and then looked at Gandalf. "What do you think?"

Gandalf sighed. "It might be safe for us to go in; I think this is the underground passage I was telling you about."

Aragorn nodded. "I'll go in first to make sure there aren't any Orcs."

Everyone agreed with him and watched as Aragorn walked in the cave. He looked around for a minute but didn't see anything.

"It's all clear!" he yelled.

The rest of the Fellowship followed. When they were all safely in the cave, Aragorn sighed with relief. Suddenly, a huge shockwave shook the cavern. The roof started to cave in as rocks crashed to the ground. Everyone looked at each other and started running. Gandalf looked up when a huge boulder broke free from the roof and came tumbling to the ground. The resulting crash echoed throughout the cavern. All of a sudden, the entrance was caved in with huge amounts of rock.

Sam looked at Gandalf. "What shall we do now?" he asked.

Gandalf sighed. "We have no choice; we must continue on! I only hope this leads to our destination."

He lit his staff and aimed it in front of him. Everyone gasped when they saw the cave growing darker ahead.

Pippin whistled. "How long does it go?"

The wizard shook his head. "I have no idea, Pippin. We cannot stop now, and we cannot go back. I have a feeling that this long, dark cave will take us to the Pass of Isenmouthe. Stick together and follow me, we do not wish to get lost."

Pippin gulped but nodded as he followed Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship down the cavern, hoping that the wizard was right.


	13. Thuringwethil

Chapter XIII: Thuringwethil

Everyone walked in single file, following Gandalf. He had his staff out and was using his magic to light the way. They walked through the cave, treading cautiously so not to draw attention to themselves. Suddenly, a loud screech was heard and Gandalf stopped in his tracks. He looked around, worried, and then drew his sword, holding it in front of him.

"What is it, Gandalf?" Gimli asked.

Gandalf hushed him and peered down the cave. The screech came again, this time louder. Suddenly, a shape came swooping down upon them, causing them to duck. Gandalf's eyes widened as he saw what it was. A huge bat hovered in front of them. It was a hideous, large creature; its fur was dark brown, covering its entire body. Wings spread outward from its shoulders, wide with iron-clawed tips. The bat stood tall on its two feet and had claws as sharp as nails. But most frightening was its face: the snout of the bat was long and wrinkled, its mouth full on razor-sharp fangs, and the eyes shone with a hellish glow. The large vampire bat screeched once more, causing everyone to cover their ears. It landed on the ground and let out a low snarl.

"It can't be..." Gandalf said, shocked. His staff was held high, shining a bright light. Everyone looked at Gandalf to see what he meant.

"Do you know what this is, Gandalf?" Legolas asked.

"This is the vampire bat Thiringwethil. Once, in the second age of Middle-earth, she was a Maia spirit, who were also known as gods. But Sauron captured her and transformed into a vampire, making her his servant."

"How will we defeat it?"

Gandalf smirked. "Its weakness, like all other bats, is light. If we blind it, we may be able to kill it." He took his staff out and plunged it into the ground. A blinding flash of light filled the cave, causing the bat to howl in pain. It recovered and growled, flying towards the fellowship with claws outstretched. Everyone gasped and ducked as the bat flew over them and then doubled back. It raked its claws against Aragorn's back, who cried out in pain.

Aragorn fell to the ground, clutching his back. Blood was flowing freely from it as long scratch marks appeared, cutting deep into the flesh. Sam rushed over to him and put pressure on the wound. When the bleeding stooped, Aragorn stood up. He pulled his sword out and aimed it at Thiringwethil. The bat glared at him with red eyes and opened its mouth, hissing, to expose long, sharp fangs. It dived at Aragorn, ready to bite him but Aragorn countered and slashed the bat in the chest. Thiringwethil let out a loud screech, which echoed across the cave. Everyone clutched their ears to block the loud noise but it was no use.

"What's it doing?" Sam yelled.

"It's letting out a supersonic echo, trying to make us deaf. That is when it will strike," Gandalf responded.

The echo ended but had done its work. The Fellowship was on the ground, clutching their ears in pain. Thiringwethil smirked and dove, ready to kill. Suddenly, Gandalf stood up as a blinding light appeared from his staff. The bat screeched again. Gandalf saw his chance, drove his sword into its body, and pulled it out. Blood flew from the wound as the bat let out a loud shriek and fell to the ground, dead.

Gandalf wiped the blood off his sword and kneeled down to the bat's body. He said a spell and concentrated. The bat's skin flew off and landed in Gandalf's hand.

Legolas looked confused. "What are you going to do with that, Gandalf?" he asked.

"I have put a spell on this skin to make it enchanted. Anyone who wears it shall become the bat," Gandalf told him.

The elf nodded but looked intrigued. He passed Gandalf and turned around to face the wizard.

"How long until we reach Durthang?"

Gandalf sighed. "I'm guessing a few hours."

A gleam appeared in Legolas's eyes. "I may try that skin on later. Meanwhile, we should get going."

He took the skin from Gandalf and looked at it. A few minutes later the Fellowship continued walking down the cave to reach their destination.


	14. Orcs in the Cave

Chapter XIV: Orcs in the Cave

The Fellowship continued to walk through the cave. They had been walking for miles, and were starting to tire.

"Can we rest for a while, Gandalf?" Sam asked the wizard.

Gandalf sighed. "I suppose we can stop walking for a while. We have been walking for a long time, and I admit I too am getting tired."

"How long until we reach the pass?"

"I would say about...half an hour."

Sam nodded and leaned up against the wall. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Pippin walked up beside them.

"What are we doing?" Pippin asked.

"Resting," Sam told him.

Aragorn stretched and walked around the cave. He took out his sword and started swing it to make sure it was in good shape. Legolas came over and started sparring with him, and after a few minutes they both had a good duel. Satisfied, they put their swords away and walked back to Gandalf.

The wizard took his staff and lit it once more. "We should get going," he said. "We have a ways to go."

He started walking down the cave, holding his staff high. The others followed him in silence. Minutes later, however, Gandalf stopped and held up his hand. He listened intently, and then drew his sword.

"What is it, Gandalf?" Legolas asked.

Gandalf said nothing but used more magic to brighten his staff. In the distance, he could see figures running toward them.

"Orcs," he replied.

Everyone immediately got their swords out, ready to battle. Instantly, a swarm of Orcs came rushing down the cave, charging at the Fellowship. Legolas got his arrows out and aimed, letting one fly. It hit an Orc in the head, who fell to the ground. He got out his sword and held it in front of him. The Orcs were closing in. One appeared behind Legolas but the elf whirled around, cleaving off the Orc's head. The fellowship continued to fight the Orcs as their swords stabbed through the Orc's bodies. One by one, an Orc fell dead.

Aragorn dodged and countered the Orc blades, he was caught off guard by another Orc circling around him. It kneed him in the back, causing Aragorn to fall to the ground. He looked up as the Orc brought its sword down, ready to stab Aragorn's chest. Aragorn grabbed his sword and blocked. The two opponents ended up in deadlock but Aragorn leapt to his feet and stabbed the Orc in the chest. The Orc gurgled as blood surrounded its chest. Aragorn pulled his sword out of its chest and severed its head.

The Orc fell to the ground, dead. Aragorn looked around and saw that every Orc had been slain. He put his sword back in its sheath and sighed, looking at Gandalf. "That was quite a battle," he told the wizard.

"Indeed," Gandalf agreed, and then raised his voice so that everyone could her. "We are almost to the exit. Let's go; there's no time to lose."

Everyone agreed and followed him. After walking for half an hour, they could see an opening in the cave. As they walked out of it, they gasped in shock. A huge mountain range could be seen and a path was leading up into it.

They had reached the Pass of Isenmouthe!


	15. Transformations

Chapter XV: Transformations

Gandalf walked up to the beginning of the pass and looked ahead. It was long, windy and narrow. The Pass of Isenmouthe was surrounded by the Mountains of Shadow, and there were huge rocks on each side of the pass. Durthang could be seen in the distance.

The wizard motioned for the rest of the group to follow him as they entered the pass. The ground beneath them was rocky, and they had a hard time walking. They trudged along, climbing between rocks and boulders. Finally, the pass leveled out and became much wider. The Fellowship walked along the pass silently, so not to draw attention to themselves.

Sam decided to speak up. "How long until we reach Durthang, Gandalf?" he asked.

Gandalf sighed. "We'll reach it tomorrow. It's almost nighttime, so we'll have to camp somewhere."

The hobbit nodded and walked on. As they were walking, Aragorn talked to Legolas about the bat skin he was carrying.

"So, do you think you'll use that skin to transform into a bat?" Aragorn asked him.

Legolas nodded. "Sometime I will, if Gandalf wants me to. Most likely I'll use it at night."

"Do you think that we'll be attacked in this pass?"

The elf hesitated. "I'm not sure; we might. If we are, then I'll be ready."

Aragorn walked ahead of Legolas so that he could reach Gandalf. "What if Sauron decides to attack Minas Tirith?"

Gandalf smirked. "If he does, I shall teleport you back there to battle. Hopefully, that will not happen." He looked up at the sky and saw that the stars and moon were coming out. He sighed, looked around, and saw a cavern in the pass. Everyone went over to it and lay down.

"We shall rest here for the night," Gandalf said. He motioned for Sam and Legolas to come forward.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"I would like you to transform into a wolf for the night to keep an eye out for intruders. If Legolas wants, tell him that he can also help by transforming into a bat using the skin I gave him."

Sam nodded and went over to Legolas. "To use the skin, just put it over yourself like a cloak. After that, the transformation into a bat shall begin."

Legolas thanked him and donned the bat skin. Instantly, he started to transform. Brown fur erupted from his skin, covered his entire body. His arms and hands started to spread outward as a leathery membrane formed, pushing the fingers outward, stretching the bones until the membrane formed around them, making them webbed wings. A sharp pain was felt in his feet as he saw his toenails lengthen into sharp claws. The toes on his feet were changing, merging together until he only had three digits on his feet. They were also widening, lengthening as new muscles formed in his legs and feet. Suddenly, with a sharp crack his legs started to move as they drew up behind his wings. He fell on his belly as a short tail burst from the back of his tailbone.

His face began to change, starting with his ears. They stretched outward until they became pointed, moving to the sides of his head and increasing his sense of sound. Next, his mouth and nose extended outward until he had a very short snout. Fangs replaced his human teeth. Finally, his vision increased dramatically. When the transformation finished, a large bat lay on the ground. It flapped its wings and took off into the air, hanging upside down upon a branch.

Sam looked at Legolas and saw that his transformation had finished. He sighed and put the wolf skin over his body. Suddenly, his skin started itching as black fur burst out, covering his body. A pressure could be felt in his tailbone as a furry wolf's tail burst out of it. Bones in his arms and legs started to crack, breaking apart and reshaping themselves as muscles grew, changing his body posture. He fell forward onto four legs as his hands and feet started to reshape themselves. Sharp, curved claws lengthened out of his fingernails and toenails. The fingers and toes started to thicken, merging together until he only had three digits, causing them to become paws.

A sharp pain seized him as his spine lengthened, outward. Sam's body was now growing in size, becoming that of a wolf. His face began to crack outwards as his mouth and nose fused together, pushing outwards into a muzzle and becoming powerful jaws. His ears became pointy and swiveled to the top of his head, allowing him to hear better. Razor-sharp fangs burst from his gums as some teeth lengthened, becoming canine. The nose at the end of his muzzle became black and increased his sense of smell. Finally, his eyes turned to slits and changed color to a sickly golden-yellow.

The wolf that Sam had transformed into threw back its head and howled loudly at the moon. It padded over to a rock wall and lay down, ready to defend itself and the humans from attacks.


	16. Ambushing the Fellowship

Chapter XVI: Ambushing the Fellowship

Sauron's palantir glowed as he looked into it. His eyes widened as he saw a vision of the Fellowship in the Pass of Isenmouthe, and was surprised when Sam transformed into a werewolf and Legolas into a bat. He clenched his fist in anger and called for Gorthaur.

Gorthaur walked into the room, his black robe sweeping the floor as he walked. He kneeled and bowed his head when he saw Sauron, and then got up.

"What is it, my master?" Gorthaur asked.

"Have you prepared our minions for war?" Sauron asked him, his eyes narrowing.

Gorthaur nodded. "They are eager to fight, my Lord. I have assembled Orcs, goblins, and every evil creature in Mordor."

"Good; very good. Now, straight to business. I was just looking in the palantir and was surprised to learn that Sam and Legolas have enchanted skins that allow them to transform into a wolf and bat. Now, I also assume Pippin has one too."

His apprentice nodded. "That is interesting. Do you think Pippin could be the black dragon that the Nazgul have been talking about?"

"It is possible, yes."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Have the Nazgul attack them in their sleep, and bring them here so we can turn them to evil."

"Are you sure that will work? The wolf is obviously very intelligent, and most likely will be waiting for an attack."

Sauron considered this. "I doubt it. The wolf is sleeping; it will be caught off guard."

"But its senses...increased hearing, smell...same with the bat."

The Dark Lord sighed. "Very well; send out the Nazgul anyway but tell them to make a silent ambush."

Gorthaur nodded and walked out of the room. He saw the Witch King talking amongst the other Nazgul in the other room. They looked at him as he walked in.

"Lord Sauron wishes you to ambush the Fellowship immediately," Gorthaur told the Witch King.

The Witch King sneered. "Where are they?"

"They are currently in the Pass of Isenmouth. Attack them, and bring the wolf and bat back to Barad-Dur."

The Witch King nodded and mounted his dragon, taking off into the night sky.

* * *

In the Pass of Isenmouth, the Fellowship was sleeping soundly. Sam was curled up next to a rock, his paws resting on his muzzle. Suddenly, the wolf heard something. It flicked its ear toward the source and heard wings flapping but then stopped. With its increased hearing, the wolf that was Sam could hear swords being drawn and footsteps moving closer. Sam rose to his feet and looked around. In the distance he could see the Nazgul. The wolf let out a low warning grown but the Nazgul kept coming. Throwing caution to the wind, the wolf threw back its head and let out a loud howl, growling louder and took a step closer to the Nazgul.

The howl woke everyone up. Gandalf and Aragorn drew their swords when they saw the Witch King, ready for an attack.

"What is it you want, Ringwraiths?" Aragorn asked.

The Witch King stepped forward and hissed. "I wish to take the wolf with me, King of Gondor. Step aside or I will use force."

Aragorn looked at Sam, who was growling menacingly at the Nazgul. He crouched at the Witch King, ready to pounce. Aragorn looked back at the Witch King and tightened his grip on his sword, swinging it at the Nazgul. The Witch King blocked it and countered, dealing a blow to Aragorn's hand. Aragorn yelled in pain as he heard bones in his hand break. He lost his grip on his sword, which went flying and landed on the ground a few feet from his. The Witch King moved in for the kill when suddenly he was tackled to the ground by Sam. The large black-furred wolf held him down with its paws, fangs bared. It growled once again, its fangs gleaming in the dark. The wolf lowered its fangs to the Witch King's neck but the Nazgul threw the wolf off of him. It skidded to the ground and regained its footing, pouncing at the Nazgul. The Witch King was caught off guard when he felt fangs pierce him. He screamed in agony as the wolf dug its fangs deeper into the Witch King's body.

The Witch King punched the wolf, slamming its body against the stone wall. Sam tried to get up but failed, and fell to the ground. The Nazgul ran toward the wolf, about to pick it up when a loud screech echoed across the mountains. He clutched his ears in pain and looked up to see a gigantic bat swoop down from a tree, letting out a supersonic echo. The sound filled the Witch King's ears with such pitch that he doubled over in pain. When the bat was gone, the Witch King stood up.

"You may have won this round but this is just the beginning! We shall attack Minas Tirith in two days, declaring war against Middle-Earth. Try and stop us, if you dare!"

He mounted his steed and flew off. Gandalf and Aragorn watched him go and looked at each other with fear in their eyes, thinking about what the Witch King had said.


	17. Durthang

Chapter XVII: Durthang

The next morning, the Fellowship was discussing the attack on them last night. Gandalf had called a meeting and was talking to Aragorn, Pippin and Legolas, who had reverted to his human form. Sam was still in the form of a wolf, lying down next to the cliff wall.

"Why was the Witch King after Sam, Gandalf?" Aragorn asked.

Gandalf shook his head and sighed. "My guess is he wanted to capture Sam so that Sauron could turn him to evil, like he did with Merry and Frodo."

Sam's ears perked up when he heard his name. He got up and padded over to Gandalf, looking at him curiously. Gandalf looked back and smiled, then looked at Legolas.

"He was after you, too. You and Sam should be careful; be sure to defend yourselves when you are transformed."

"What shall we do now?" Legolas asked.

"Now, we are headed towards Durthang; it will take us about fifteen minutes."

Legolas nodded and tightened his bow and arrows. Gandalf took the lead as everyone followed him. Sam silently walked on, his paws padding the ground. They walked for miles until they saw an opening in the pass. They could see a huge castle up ahead, towering above the mountains. It was overlooking the pass of Isenmouthe and the valley of Udun behind the Black Gate. Gandalf squinted and could see beasts in the castle.

"What is this?" Aragorn asked.

"This is the old castle of Durthang, Aragorn. It is where the Palace of Resurrection is held, and we must reach it," Gandalf told him.

"How will we do that? I can see that the tower is full of Orcs!"

"The only way we can get through is to fight. Get you sword out."

Aragorn did so, along with the rest of the fellowship, except for Sam who was still a wolf. They walked into the castle and looked around. The castle was silent. Gandalf breathed a sigh of relief before going on ahead. Suddenly, Orcs swarmed toward them. Everyone launched into battle, attacking the Orcs. Aragorn swung his sword and stabbed many Orcs in the chest. As they attacked, Legolas shot arrows with deadly accuracy, causing Orcs to fall dead when the arrows hit them. Gimli was swinging his ax around wildly, dodging swords and arrows. The Fellowship killed the Orcs in their path but more kept coming. Soon, every Orc in the castle blocked their path.

"There are too many!" Pippin screamed. "We're surrounded!"

Gandalf said a spell and plunged his staff into the ground. A shockwave was sent out, causing everyone do fall to the ground. After that, Gandalf's staff crackled with electricity. He aimed it at the Orcs, shocking them with bolts of lightning. The Orcs screamed in pain and fell dead, smoke rising from their charred bodies.

The Fellowship walked on, unfazed by the dead bodies surrounding them. Sam ran on ahead, sniffing out any enemy scent that he might pick up. Legolas walked behind Gandalf, trying to keep up. They walked for a while before seeing a row of stairs leading down to the dungeon.

Gandalf turned to look at the Fellowship. "The Palace of Resurrection is in the basement; there is a secret tunnel down there that will lead us to it." He strode down into the dungeon, followed by the rest of the Fellowship. Gandalf lit his staff and looked around. He saw a lever against the wall and pulled down. Suddenly, the room started to shake. At the end of the dungeon, a hidden door swung open, leading down a passageway. They cautiously walked down the passage and entered a large room, filled with potions and spellbooks. They had reached the Palace of Resurrection!


	18. The Palace of Resurrection

Chapter 18: The Palace of Resurrection

Down in the basement of Durthang, a secret passage led to the Palace of Resurrection. The Fellowship was now walking down that path, Gandalf in the lead. They walked cautiously, hoping to not encounter any enemies. A few minutes later, they came to a huge room. It had all sorts of potions and candles on the wall. A spell book was sitting on a pedestal and a huge cauldron was in the middle of the room, filled with water. Gandalf entered the room and looked around, followed by the rest of the Fellowship.

"What is this place?" Aragorn asked him.

Gandalf sighed. "This is the Palace of Resurrection. It is the place where Sauron was brought back to life."

Aragorn nodded. "Can you find some potion to kill him?"

"Not kill him, but make him weak enough so that we will be. The ingredients are in this book: wolf blood, dragon scales, dirt from Mordor and bones."

Sam, who was still in the form of a wolf, looked at Gandalf. He whimpered and lay on the floor.

"What's he afraid of?" Gimli asked.

"Most likely he heard me say that one of the ingredients will be wolf blood. We'll have to wound him in order to get the blood; it will just be a tiny cut."

Aragorn nodded and looked at the potions and jars on the shelf. He saw a jar labeled "Mordor dirt" and gave it to Gandalf, who nodded.

Gandalf walked over to Sam and took out a knife. Sam backed into a corner and flattened his ears, growling at him. Gandalf chuckled. He cut Sam on the paw and caught a drop of blood in his hand. Sam howled in pain and whimpered, then started to lick the wound. Gandalf walked over to the cauldron and put the dirt and blood in. The water in the cauldron started to bubble and sputter.

"What about the dragon scale?" Pippin asked. "I won't have to transform into a dragon for that, will I?"

The wizard shook his head. "No need; there is already a scale here." He pointed to a jar and Pippin saw a dragon scale in it. He also saw a bone laying on the shelf. Pippin sighed in relief as Gandalf walked over to the shelf and grabbed the jars. He opened them and put the dragon scale and bone into the cauldron. This caused the water to turn a dark red, looking like blood. It simmered and boiled for a few minutes before stopping.

"Is it done?" Legolas asked.

Gandalf nodded.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"I'm positive. All we need to do is say a spell, and the potion will be complete. After that, Sauron shall feel the effects immediately." He turned to a page in the spell book and started to chant.

_"Ash naz kazul-na_

_Ash naz dulbaltul  
_

_Kale-me so na_

_Sa loca sesoâ "  
_

The cauldron started bubbling and hissing. Steam rose from it and a blinding flash of light filled the room. Then everything went black.

* * *

At that very moment, Sauron fell to his knees. Dark energy surrounded him, causing him to scream in pain. Seconds later, the darkness vanished, leaving the Dark Lord panting.

Gorthaur rushed in the room. "My Lord, what's wrong?"

Sauron got to his feet but stumbled. He regained his footing and stared at Gorthaur.

"I feel weak," he said. "Those Fellowship brats have successfully made the potion to make me vulnerable enough for them to kill me."

Gorthaur's eyes widened. "What will you do?" he asked.

Sauron sneered, glaring at his apprentice. "We cannot wait any longer; we must declare war immediately! Tell the Nazgul to attack Minas Tirith at once, and then to come back to Barad-Dur to prepare for war. Now that I am weak, you shall have to protect me. When the war begins, make sure to kill every enemy you see."

"What about the animals?"

Sauron paced the room, thinking. "Turn them to evil using the spell I taught you. I shall also be out on the battlefield."

"But you're weak!"

"I am not weak enough to fight! Just make sure I don't get killed. Now, go!"

Gorthaur bowed and left the room. Once he was gone, Sauron sat on his throne and thought about the war he was about to start, knowing that Middle-Earth would not stand a chance against his terrible wrath!


	19. Minas Tirith Under Siege

Chapter 19: Minas Tirith Under Siege

The Nazgul got on their dragons and flew out of Barad-Dur towards Minas Tirith. On their way there, they spotted Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship leaving Durthang. The Witch King hissed, looking at the Fellowship. Then he said to the other Nazgul, "I have just spotted the Fellowship. It looks like they have successfully made the potion to weaken our master Sauron. Well, no matter. Now, on to Minas Tirith!"

The Nazgul let out loud screeches as they flew faster, heading towards the White City. Gandalf heard them and looked up to the sky. His eyes widened as he took in the situation.

He turned to Aragorn and spoke. "I have just seen the Nazgul flying out of Mordor. Apparently they are heading for Minas Tirith!"

Aragorn gasped. "We have to do something! I will not let my city fall under attack while I am away!"

Gandalf nodded and looked at him. "You, Legolas and I shall go to Minas Tirith and stop the Nazgul. I assume they are attacking the city because Sauron has felt that we performed the spell, and is now using this moment to declare war against Middle-Earth!"

Legolas grimaced. "What about Pippin, Gimli and Sam?"

"They are coming with us. We won't be gone for very long."

"Then take us to Minas Tirith," the elf demanded.

Gandalf nodded and said a spell. A white light surrounded them and they vanished instantly.

* * *

Minas Tirith was in turmoil. The Nazgul had appeared out of nowhere, and the citizens were not expecting an attack. Now they were fighting for their lives as the Ringwraiths invaded the city. Arwen was ordering the archers to attack the Nazgul but they had no effect. The Nazgul flew over the city, their dragon thinning Minas Tirith's ranks with their fire breath. Suddenly a flash of light appeared, causing everyone to look away. When the light faded, Gandalf stood there with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Sam and Pippin.

Arwen ran up to him. "Gandalf, thank goodness you're here; the Nazgul attacked us without warning. we have to defend ourselves!"

Gandalf nodded. "We are here to help you, Queen Arwen, but not for long. I only have enough time to defend this city and then we must go back on our quest."

"I understand," Arwen said, and then looked at her husband. "How are you doing?"

"We have just made a potion that made Sauron weak enough for us to kill," Aragorn told his wife. "Most likely that is why the Nazgul are attacking."

Arwen looked at Gimli and Legolas. When she saw a gigantic black wolf standing next to them, she screamed. "What is that wolf doing here?"

"Calm yourself, Arwen. That wolf is Sam."

Arwen watched with awe as the wolf sniffed the air. It turned its head to look at the sky and saw the Nazgul flying above the city. It howled loudly, causing everyone near it to cover their ears. This, unfortunately, caught the Nazgul's attention as they swooped down and hovered in front of the city walls.

"So," the Witch King hissed. "The Fellowship has come to challenge us?"

Gandalf stepped up and looked at the Witch King. "You shall not harm this city again, Ringwraith. Begone!" With that declaration, he shot a bolt of magical electricity from his staff. It shocked the Nazgul with such force that it looked like they were having seizures. When it stopped, the Ringwraiths were left breathless. When they recovered, the dragons that the Nazgul were riding on all opened their mouths and breathed flame that surrounded the Fellowship. Gandalf raised his staff and said a spell that deflected the fire, hitting the dragons instantly. They screeched in pain and roared loudly.

The Witch King hissed. "You'll pay for this, Mithrandir! Lord Sauron is starting a war, and when he wins, Middle-Earth will be his forever!" They started to fly away but not before the dragons shot fire from their mouths, consuming the entire city in flames. People screamed in pain as they were burned alive. Gandalf watched in fear as he saw the city burning. The Nazgul laughed and flew away.

Gandalf closed his eyes and said a spell. Suddenly, water came out of the tip of his staff and hovered in the air, splashing down among the city. Instantly, the fire was out. He sighed and looked at Arwen. "Our worst fears have come true; Sauron means to start a war. I shall need Minas Tirith's entire army to help defeat him. Meanwhile, I shall go to Elrond and ask him for help also. Wait here until I return."

Arwen nodded and saw Gandalf teleport. She sighed and held Aragorn's hand nervously, awaiting Gandalf's return.


	20. Preparing for War

Chapter 20: Preparing for War

Gandalf appeared in Rivendell and saw Elrond looking in his palantir with a grim look on his face. Elrond sighed and shook his head, turning around to face Gandalf.

"I know why you are here," he said. "Sauron has declared war upon Middle-Earth once again."

The wizard nodded. "Exactly. We need you to march your army of Elves to Mordor to help us defeat him. I have already talked to Aragorn about it, and he is doing the same thing."

Elrond smiled. "Another Alliance of Men and Elves, how fitting." He nodded. "Very well; I shall gather my army and we shall meet you in Mordor."

"How long will it take you?"

"You know that elves also have the ability to teleport; we shall meet in Mordor tonight."

Gandalf smiled. "We will be expecting you." He muttered a spell and teleported back to Minas Tirith.

* * *

Arwen was talking to the Fellowship about their quest when Gandalf reappeared.

"I have just met with Elrond, and he has agreed to fight. Now we must get Minas Tirith's army to help also. this will be a full-out war, so be prepared," he said.

Sam, who was back in human form, spoke. "When will we fight?"

"Elrond and his army will meet us in battle later today. meanwhile, we shall go back to Mordor and wait for them." He looked at Aragorn. "Gather your army, and meet us on the Plains of Gorgorath."

Aragorn nodded and ran off to prepare Minas Tirith's army for war. Arwen followed, and soon they were gone. Gandalf smiled and teleported the Fellowship to Mordor. He breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes.

"Gandalf, are you okay?" Sam asked worriedly.

Gandalf opened his eyes, smiling. "Yes, I'm fine; I was just thinking about the war we will have to fight in."

Sam nodded, and looked at Pippin. "You ready for this?" he asked.

Pippin hesitated. "I...I'm not sure. What if we don't defeat Sauron?"

"Don't worry, we will. Remember, we have an army with us."

"So does Sauron!"

Sam sighed and shook his head. "We will defeat him, Pippin. I promise you."

* * *

Sauron's armies had gathered on the Plains of Gorgorath, waiting in anticipation and excitement for their enemy. In the front lines were Sauron, the Nazgul, and Gorthaur. They had their staffs and swords out, ready for battle. Gorthaur eyed the Plains anxiously. He tightened his grip on his staff and sneered.

"Looks like they are cowards; they're not showing up!" he shouted.

"Patience, Gorthaur," Sauron told him. "They'll be here." As if on cue, a massive army marched towards them. The army included the Elves, the Fellowship, and the Men of Gondor. Sauron sneered and laughed. He swung his arm forward and yelled, "Attack!"

The two armies charged at each other, attacking ferociously. The War of Mordor had begun.


	21. The War of Mordor

Chapter 21: The War of Mordor

The two armies clashed as they fought against each other. Orcs and elves fought, while Sauron, Gorthaur and the Nazgul stood watching. Arrows flew threw the air as the elves fired, aiming at the Orcs. Some Orcs fell as the elves charged, cleaving the Orcs in two with their swords. Within minutes, the Orcs were dead. Elrond looked at his army and nodded. The held their ground and waited as more enemies marched across the plains. The Alliance of Men and Elves waited patiently until every creature in Mordor had appeared.

Sauron grinned and started laughing. "The fools; they are outnumbered! We have a massive army, twice as many as they do! They will never win; we shall be victorious!" He looked at his army and yelled, "Attack!"

The army of Mordor charged at the Alliance of Men and Elves, swords at the ready. Elves reacted swiftly, dodging the swords and stabbing some goblins in the chest. The goblins screeched and fell dead. More waves of the enemy came at them, forcing the Alliance to go into battle. They dealt heavy blows, forcing the army of Mordor back. Both Elrond and Aragorn were shouting orders, directing their armies in battle. Trolls appeared, swinging their clubs and thinning the Alliance's ranks with swift blows. More enemies appeared, laying waste to the human army.

Gandalf, along with the rest of the Fellowship, were also fighting. Legolas was shooting arrows at trolls and goblins with deadly accuracy. Gimli swung his axe, killing enemies that stood in his way. Pippin and Sam had also drawn their swords and were fighting against Orcs and goblins. The Fellowship fought with all their might before killing the enemies in their path. Trolls, goblins and Orcs attacked with more ferocity. They swung their weapons, wounding their attackers. Before long, the battlefield was overrun with Sauron's army. Aragorn and Elrond looked at their army of elves and men before looking back at Sauron's. Their eyes widened as they witnessed Sauron's army destroying their own.

"It's no use!" Elrond yelled to Aragorn. "There are too many of them; we need to find a way to thin their ranks!"

Aragorn nodded and looked at Gandalf. "We need your help; Sauron's army has grown too powerful and is slaughtering our troops!"

The wizard nodded and looked at the Fellowship. "I must go somewhere; I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, he teleported away.

Aragorn looked at Elrond in confusion. "Where is he going?"

Elrond just shrugged. Minutes later, Gandalf came back holding something. Elrond looked closer and saw that it was an animal skin. Immediately, he knew Gandalf's plan. "You want one of us to transform into another animal? How will that help?"

"This is the skin of Gothmog, the Balrog we fought on the way here. One of us must transform and fight. I am sure that the strength of a Balrog will give us an advantage."

"Do you want Pippin and I to transform into a wolf and dragon?" Sam asked him.

Gandalf thought about it for a minute. "Not yet, Sam. When Sauron sends out the Nazgul and his werewolf, then you two can fight the respective opponents."

"But who shall wear the skin to transform?" Aragorn asked.

"I will," Gimli said, taking the skin from Gandalf's hands and holding it. He examined it for a bit, looking over its features.

"What? Don't you remember what happened in the Mines of Moria? A Balrog killed your ancestor, Durin!"

Gimli nodded. "Precisely, and now I will be transforming into the very creature that caused his demise."

Aragorn looked at Gandalf, who nodded in approval. "Very well Gimli, just put the skin on and you will instantly start the transformation."

"Will this transformation be permanent?"

Gandalf shook his head. "You can transform back at will, just like Pippin and Sam. But I do warn you: if you stay in the form for too long or lose yourself to the Balrog's instincts, you could forget your humanity and become a true Balrog."

Gimli hesitated for a bit and looked at the skin again. Finally, he nodded. Then, he looked at the Balrog skin in his hands with determination, closed his eyes, and threw the skin over his body.


	22. The Balrog Attacks

Chapter 22: The Balrog Attacks

As soon as Gimli put on the Balrog skin, he felt his entire body heating up. His insides felt like they were burning, as if they were on fire. Smoke rose from his body as his skin cracked, hardening into scales as molten lava oozed out and stuck to some of them. His arms and legs grew, thickening with muscle. His fingers and toes merged into three digits, thickening as well. The fingernails and toenails on his hands and feet also lengthened into sharp claws. Gimli groaned in pain as he felt bones in his body break apart, rearranging and thickening with density. A long tail burst from his spine with large spikes appearing on it.

Gimli's shoulders filled with pain as they split open, widening as two bat-like wings unfolded from his back. His face started to change as it extended outward into a very short muzzle. His hair melted into his skull as scales covered his face. Suddenly, he felt a tugging on the side of his head and felt two long horns grow out of his skull next to his ears, curving downwards. The horns were so long and wide that Gimli could see them extending past his face, ending in sharp spikes. His ears melted away into his skull but his hearing somehow increased. Long, deadly fangs jutted out from his mouth and replaced his teeth.

He closed his eyes as they painfully changed. They grew wider and more pronounced, along with his eye color, which turned his irises completely white. Gimli's body continued to grow as his muscles twisted, rippling across his body and gaining mass. His entire body thickened with muscle and grew in size, reaching eighteen feet in height. Flames burst from his scales and engulfed his entire body, intertwining it with shadow. Lastly, an axe and whip appeared in his hands and covered themselves with flame.

Once the transformation completed, the Balrog looked around the battlefield. It tightened its grip on the whip in its right hand and let out a deafening roar that shook the ground. It drew its whip up in the air, cracking the whip downwards. Everyone on the battlefield saw it and backed away instantly. Sauron saw the Balrog and let out a shout of surprise.

"How did that Balrog get here? I want it destroyed!"

"My Lord, it appears that the Balrog is someone from the Fellowship, and have used the skin of Gothmog to become it," Gorthaur told him.

Sauron growled angrily, and then turned to the Nazgul. "Attack it!"

"What? But, My Lord..." the Witch King protested.

"You heard me, attack the Balrog!"

The Witch King sighed and signaled the Nazgul to get in attack formation. They mounted their dragon steeds and flew in the air. They hovered in the air and sped toward the Balrog, drawing their swords. The Balrog saw them coming and cracked its whip, sending huge scratches along the dragons' side. They roared in pain as fire burned their scales. The Nazgul shrieked also but continued to attack. They swung their swords at the Balrog but it had no effect; the swords caught on fire as they came into contact with the Balrog's flaming body. The swords grew so hot that the Nazgul dropped them instantly.

Sauron watched the battle with an expression of hatred. The Balrog was easily overpowering the Nazgul, and he could see that they could not withstand another attack. "Enough!" he shouted to the Nazgul. "Retreat; there is nothing we can do now!"

The Nazgul did so with ease. Sauron looked at them, disappointed. He whirled around and walked to Gorthaur, a smile forming on his face.

"We must do something," Gorthaur said. "That Balrog is a formidable opponent, and it could turn the tide of the war easily. Do you want me to cast the spell to make it evil?"

"When the dragon and wolf appear, you may," Sauron told him. "For now, stun the Balrog so that it can't fight. That will draw the dragon and wolf out onto the battlefield. Also, send the werewolf out to fight."

Gorthaur grinned and nodded his head. he set his sights on the Balrog, who was still fighting, and cast a stunning spell. The spell hit the Balrog, shocking it with lightning. Gorthaur sighed in relief when he saw the Balrog falter but gasped when he saw that the spell had no effect! The Balrog recovered and looked at Gorthaur, growling. It roared at him menacingly. It walked forward, crushing enemies under its feet as it did, until it was in front of Gorthaur. Gorthaur said a spell once more and aimed his staff at the Balrog. A bright light shot out of the staff and hit the Balrog in the chest. It roared in pain and backed away. Gorthaur smiled as he saw the magic of the spell taking effect; the Balrog's eyes switched between a white and reddish-orange color before finally settling on the latter. Its eyes were now an evil-looking red color.

_Excellent_, Gorthaur thought. _The spell worked! The Balrog is evil, and will now serve us! _He laughed maniacally and looked at the Balrog, hoping it would come to his side. However, his eyes widened as he saw it clutch its head and roar loudly. Its eyes changed back to a white color and it growled once again at Gorthaur before raising its whip in one hand and the axe in the other, bringing them both down upon Sauron's army. A bright flash of fire appeared, instantly vaporizing almost every one of Sauron's minions. It looked around, satisfied, and retreated behind the Fellowship.

Everyone on the battlefield looked at the Balrog, amazed at what it had just done. Sauron growled in frustration before turning to the Nazgul. He nodded at them, signaling for them to attack. Then, he turned to Gorthaur and said in a cold, menacing voice,

"Send in the werewolf."


	23. The Wolves' Rematch

Chapter XXIII: The Wolves' Rematch

An uncanny howl echoed across Mordor. The Fellowship looked up as they saw a shape appear behind Sauron and watched it come forward. It was a huge werewolf that appeared, snarling menacingly. Its fur was dark brown, and its eyes shone with a menacing golden-yellow color. The werewolf bared its fangs and growled threateningly, taking a few steps forward. All of a sudden, it pounced on the some unsuspecting archers and swordsmen, killing them instantly. Elrond, Aragorn, and the Fellowship watched in horror as the werewolf continued to slaughter their army. Once the werewolf was done, it howled again. The people who were spared all backed away, instantly afraid of what the werewolf might do.

Sam looked at Gandalf, eyes wide in shock. "Is that werewolf Merry?"

Gandalf nodded. "I'm afraid it is, Sam. It seems that Sauron has turned Merry to evil, and now the werewolf is on his side."

"Is there any way to free him?"

The wizard shook his head. "Unfortunately not. You'll have to transform into a wolf to fight and kill him."

Sam sighed and grabbed the wolf skin from his pack. He looked at it for a moment, wondering if this was the right thing to do. Gandalf noticed his hesitation and nodded. Sam smiled but before putting it on, he asked, "Will Pippin transform also and fight the Nazgul's dragons?"

"Yes, he will battle the Nazgul. Don't worry, both he and you will do fine."

The hobbit nodded and put the wolf skin over his body. Thick black fur covered his entire body. The bones in his arms and legs cracked and fractured, reshaping themselves as his posture changed, forcing him onto all fours. His feet and hands formed into paws, while his toenails and fingernails lengthened into sharp claws. A tail pushed out of the back of his spine. His ears took on a triangular shape and swiveled to the top of his head as his face extended outwards, merging his jaw together to form a snout. His teeth grew into long, pointed fangs and his eyes took on a golden-yellow color. Finally, his instincts and senses heightened greatly.

Once the transformation completed, a large black wolf stood in Sam's place. It looked around and let out a loud howl that echoed across Mordor. The werewolf howled in response and ran towards the opposing wolf, stopping in front of it. They both bared their fangs and growled, circling each other, waiting to attack.

_We meet again, skin-changer_, the werewolf said.

The transformed wolf flattened its ears against its head and growled again. It took a step forward, taunting the werewolf to attack. They jumped at each other, claws outstretched. The two wolves scratched their claws across one another's chests, causing long deep scratches to appear. They dropped down to all fours and growled again. Suddenly, the wolf pounced, claws outstretched and fangs bared. The werewolf was taken by surprise when it was knocked to the ground. It looked up at the wolf, who had its paws on the werewolf's belly, digging its claws into the werewolf's chest. Blood dripped from the wound, causing the werewolf to howl in pain.

_You have improved since we last met, skin-changer,_ growled the werewolf. _It seems that we are now even. But you will have to do better in order to defeat me!_

With an enormous boost of effort, the werewolf threw the wolf off of its chest, sending it flying through the air. The wolf, however, flipped its body around as it fell, and landed on the ground easily. It launched itself at the werewolf, snapping its jaws at the werewolf's neck. The werewolf dodged the attacks with ease and circled around the wolf, landing on its back. They both fell to the ground but got up instantly, lunging at each other once again. The wolf that was Sam clawed at the werewolf's muzzle, cutting the fur open. Blood leaked out, covering the werewolf's muzzle. It growled angrily and roared at the wolf. The wolf roared back, and pounced again but the werewolf was ready. It countered, knocking the wolf to the ground and attacked it. Sam howled in pain as the werewolf clawed at his chest. After a few minutes, the wolf that was Sam lay on the ground, bleeding horribly. Surprisingly, the wolf's wound healed and it got up, eying the werewolf menacingly.

_You'll never win, werewolf,_ it growled. _I'll make sure of that._

_How did you heal yourself? _the werewolf growled back, its eyes widened in shock.

_I have control over this form, and can heal myself at will. I cannot be defeated. Now, it's time to end this!  
_

The werewolf growled once more before charging at Sam. However, before he could pounce, the wolf lunged and dug its fangs into the werewolf's neck. It tightened its hold on the werewolf and grappled it, sending them both falling to the ground. The werewolf looked up at its enemy, eyes filled with fear. In one swift move, the wolf that was Sam ripped out the werewolf's throat, severing its head from its body, blood pooling out of the headless corpse. The wolf howled in victory and feasted on the werewolf's body, stripping it of meat.

Once the wolf had finished eating, it turned and started walking back to the Fellowship. Suddenly, a crack was heard and electricity flew through the air before shocking the wolf. The wolf turned its head and saw Gorthaur standing next to Sauron, sending a spell towards it. Seconds later, the spell hit the wolf, causing it to roar and howl in agonizing pain, its eyes changing color between gold and red before returning to their original color. After the spell ended, the wolf let out an eerie howl that lasted for a minute. Then, its eyes closed and it fell to the ground, unconscious.


	24. Battle of the Dragons

Chapter XXIV: Battle of the Dragons

Gorthaur laughed when he saw the wolf lying unconscious on the ground. Gandalf ran up to it, shaking the wolf's body to see if it would wake. He looked at Gorthaur, who stared down at him.

"What have you done to Sam?" Gandalf shouted.

"It's very simple," Gorthaur said. "I cast a spell to make him evil. Unfortunately, that didn't work, since his will is too strong to be turned. There is a side effect to the spell, however. It also can't transform the wolf back to its human form."

Gandalf's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that Sam has been permanently transformed into a wolf?"

Gorthaur nodded. "Yes, and so has your Balrog. In fact, I plan to do the same thing to the dragon and possibly the bat, if Legolas turns into it." He laughed evilly and eyed Gandalf. "You're going to try and free me, aren't you? Well, you'll have to kill my master Sauron first. But we both know that isn't going to happen, Mithrandir. We will win, and Middle-Earth will belong to us. Even the wolf isn't strong enough."

"You forget one important thing, Gorthaur," said the wizard. "We made a potion that weakened Sauron, and right now he is vulnerable to attack, weak enough to get killed. So, no matter what, you will lose. One way or another, we will kill Sauron and stop this madness."

"If you believe that, you are sadly mistaken!" He walked back to Sauron and whispered something to him. Sauron grinned and nodded. Gorthaur turned back to Gandalf and said, "You can't stop us, Mithrandir. One way or another, we will defeat you." He then yelled at the top of his lungs, "Nazgul, attack!"

The nine Ringwraiths suddenly swarmed out onto the battlefield, swords in hand. They attacked with speed and ferocity, killing most of the men and elves. Those that were spared fell into unconsciousness. Gandalf looked on in shock as the Ringwraiths' dragons flew from the sky, roaring loudly. They caught up soldiers in their claws, killing the humans instantly.

Gandalf watched in horror as the dragons thinned the ranks of the armies of Rivendell and Gondor. If this kept up, the Alliance of Men and Elves would be defenseless! He walked over to Pippin and spoke in an urgent tone.

"I have a mission for you," the wizard said.

"What is it?" Pippin asked.

"You must transform into a dragon in order to defeat the Nazgul's. They are outnumbering us, and must be stopped before they kill more of our soldiers!"

Pippin nodded in understanding and took the dragon skin out of his sack. "Do you want me to kill them?"

"Do anything to stop them."

The hobbit took this as a yes and threw the dragon skin over his body. As soon as it made contact with his skin, he began to transform. His skin started to harden and vanished as black scales covered his entire body. Armored scutes covered his chest, which deepened as his internal organs grew and shifted into new shapes. Pippin's breathing grew louder as his heart, lungs and ribs expanded in size, growing larger to support new muscles.

His arms and legs began to change, growing with muscle. The bones in them fractured before reforming, reversing them with a loud crack. This caused his posture to change as he was forced on all fours, the feet and hands growing, thickening and merging the fingers and toes into three digits. Sharp black wicked-looking claws protruded from them, curving downwards.

Pippin's body began to grow in size. His spine stretched, lengthening his body width. A tail burst from the back of his spine and sharp spikes shot out of his scales, running down his back all the way to the tip of his tail. An intense pain filled his shoulder blades as two bat-like wings burst from his back. His neck stretched and extended, growing longer and wider. Bones in his face cracked, causing the hobbit's face to extend outward. His mouth and nose fused together to become muzzle and his jaw grew stronger. The teeth in his mouth sharpened themselves into long, pointed fangs. Pippin's tongue changed and grew thinned, becoming forked.

Next to change were his ears. They became three spine fans and grew outwards a little. Then Pippin's hair fell out as scales covered his head. Two long curved pointed horns grew out of the top of his skull, causing him to yell in pain. He closed his eyes in pain and felt them move slightly to the sides of his head. When he opened them, he could see in both ultraviolet and infrared light. His eyes had also turned to slits and the pupils turned crimson. Finally, more muscles twisted across his body, gaining mass as he grew larger, reaching an enormous size.

Once the transformation was finished, the dragon spread its wings and flew into the air. The other dragons saw it and roared, issuing a challenge. They flew toward the dragon, breathing fire at it. The dragon dodged the fire and retaliated with one of its own. A stream of fire flew toward the dragons, engulfing them in flame. The screeched in pain but recovered from the blow. They flapped their wings and flew at the dragon, surrounding it. Claws slashed across the dragon's face as the other ones attacked. It roared in pain and flew upward. Then it roared loudly and dove at the dragons. The dragon took a deep breath and let out a stream of fire that surrounded the other dragons. Then, it slammed into a dragons' side, buring its fangs into the Nazgul's dragon's scaly hide. The enemy dragon roared in pain and tried to throw the foe off but couldn't. Suddenly, pain erupted in the dragon's throat. The dragon that was Pippin had clamped down on the enemy dragon's neck, holding on tight. It then closed its jaws around the dragon's neck and released as blood from the dragon flowed out of the broken neck. The Nazgul's dragon fell out of the sky, landing dead on the ground. All of the other dragons roared and flew towards Pippin. The dragon that was Pippin opened its mouth, showing its blood-stained fangs, and took a deep breath, then exhaled a massive ball of flame, which hit the dragons upon impact. They screeched and roared in agony, then crashed to the ground dead, smoke flowing from their bodies.

The dragon looked at the dead dragons and hovered in the air, letting out a victorious roar. It looked at Gorthaur with hatred and snarled. Gorthaur looked shocked but overcame the feeling and shot a spell towards the dragon. Pippin tried to dodge it but the spell hit its target, causing the black dragon to roar in pain. It fell to the ground with a loud thud and didn't move.


	25. Sauron's End

Chapter XXV: Sauron's End

Gorthaur sneered as he saw the dragon lay motionless on the ground. He looked at Gandalf and laughed wickedly seeing the shocked expression on his face. Even the rest of the Fellowship were stunned that Gorthaur had used a spell that defeated a wolf and a dragon so easily. Aragorn ran up to the dragon, putting a hand on its scales, hoping it would respond to his touch. When the dragon didn't wake, he looked at Gorthaur with a angry glare.

"You've killed Pippin!" Gandalf yelled.

"Relax, I've only knocked the dragon unconscious, as I did with the wolf. They'll wake in a few minutes. Meanwhile, it looks like we've won. Your army is nearly dead, and the animals that you have are out cold. Let's face it, you don't have a chance of defeating Sauron and I. One way or another, we will defeat you and rule Middle-Earth!"

"You won't get away with this, Gorthaur. We will kill Sauron, and then this war will be over."

Gorthaur laughed maniacally. "You fools; you are outnumbered! There is no way in hell that you will kill my master."

Aragorn drew his sword and stood in a fighting pose. "Let us have a duel, then. Sauron will fight me, and no other. We fight to the death."

"I accept," Sauron told him. He drew his mace and faced Aragorn. "Do not worry, Gorthaur; I will defeat him. I may be weak, but I can still fight. Now, let us see what you're made of!"

The two charged, swinging their swords at each other. Sauron brought his sword down, aiming at Aragorn's head but Aragorn blocked it. The two ended up in deadlock before Aragorn suddenly ducked, swinging his sword at Sauron's legs. The Dark Lord rolled to the ground in order to avoid the blow. He got up and suddenly vanished, appearing behind Aragorn's back. Aragorn turned but felt a heavy blow as Sauron kicked him the the back, causing him to fall to the ground. Sauron raised his sword, poised at Aragorn's back.

"And so it ends," Sauron said with a sneer. "The King of Minas Tirith finally dies by my hand. Goodbye, Isildir's heir."

He brought the sword down when Aragorn rolled around, causing the sword to land in the dirt. Sauron growled and whirled around, swinging his sword with a mighty blow. Aragorn did not expect this and raised his arm to parry, but it was too late. Sauron's sword cut down his chest, cleaving through the skin. Aragorn yelled in pain but kept fighting.

"You are persistent, aren't you?" The Dark Lord said as he parried Aragorn's blows. "Give up, Aragorn. Soon, you will die and Middle-earth shall belong to Gorthaur and I."

"I think not," Aragorn replied, continuing to parry against Sauron's blade. He swung his sword, slicing it on Sauron's arm. The Dark Lord yelled and dropped the sword, holding his arm in pain. Sauron smiled and dodged the sword blows, picking his sword off the ground and slamming it against Aragorn's. The two stared at each other for a minute, their swords pressing against each other.

"You will not win," Sauron said. He pushed Aragorn to the ground and held his sword against Aragorn's throat. "Any last words?"

Aragorn pushed himself to his feet, elbowing Sauron in the gut. Sauron doubled over but recovered. When he got up, however, Aragorn had circled around and plunged his sword into Sauron's back. The Dark Lord's eyes grew wide in surprise and fear. He struggled to speak for a moment, and then fell to the ground dead.

"NO!" Gorthaur yelled. He snarled in anger and lifted his staff. It glowed brightly then suddenly stopped. He looked at it in shock. "What is this? My magic no longer works! Why is this happening?"

"Sauron is dead," Gandalf told him. "That means that Mordor is being destroyed, and you will be free from his control."

Gorthaur watched in horror as the land of Mordor shook violently. Mount Doom erupted, sending lava spewing out in all directions. The tower of Barad-Dur crumbled to the ground, and the Nazgul, along with Sauron's evil minions, vanished instantly. Gorthaur clutched his head in pain and screamed. His eyes flashed from red to blue and his cloak and staff disappeared. A white light shone from him and when it was gone, a hobbit stood in his place.

Frodo had finally been freed.


	26. Ending the War

Chapter XXVI: Ending the War

Frodo Baggins opened his eyes and looked around the battlefield. He furrowed his brow in confusion and saw Aragorn standing in front of him. The hobbit got up and took a step forward but fell. He landed in Aragorn's arms, weak and exhausted.

"What happened, Aragorn?" he asked.

Aragorn smiled. "You were under Sauron's control but we freed you. Do you remember anything?"

The hobbit hesitated. "I...yes, I do. I'm sorry for all that I've done."

"Don't be; it wasn't your fault. Everyone that you know banded together on a quest to break Sauron's hold on you, and we have succeeded. Now the Dark Lord is dead, and Middle-Earth is at peace once more. Come on, let's head back to Minas Tirith."

Frodo nodded and started walking. His eyes widened as he saw Gandalf, and was so overjoyed that he ran to the wizard, hugging him fondly. The wizard smiled and knelt down so that he was eye level with Frodo.

"Welcome back, Frodo. You don't know how long we have waited for this day to come. Finally, everything is as it should be. The quest that the Fellowship reunited for has been fulfilled."

"How long was I under Sauron's control?" Frodo asked.

"At least a year and a half. This war has been greater that the War of the Ring, and many lives have been lost in the process."

Frodo hung his head in shame and frowned. "Where is Sam, Merry and Pippin? Are they here?"

Gandalf smiled half-heartedly. "Merry was captured by Sauron and had been permanently transformed into a werewolf. We had no choice but to kill him. You must understand, he was too far gone and could not be freed. Sam and Pippin are here, though you may not recognize them."

"What do you mean by that?" Frodo asked.

Gandalf nodded past him, causing Frodo to turn around. He gasped in shock when he saw a wolf and a massive black dragon not far from him. They stood up, looking at him. Suddenly, the wolf pounced on Frodo, knocking him to the ground. It started licking him happily.

"Get off of me!" Frodo yelled.

The wolf complied, letting Frodo stand up. It looked at him and wagged its tail. The dragon walked beside the wolf and stared at the hobbit. Frodo looked at Gandalf in confusion.

"I don't understand. What are these animals doing here? Where is Sam and Pippin?"

Gandalf chuckled. "These animals are Sam and Pippin, my dear Frodo. While you were Gorthaur, you cast a spell that permanently transformed Pippin into a dragon and Sam into a wolf...and Gimli is now a Balrog."

Frodo's eyes widened and he looked at the animals once more. The wolf barked, licking him once more and wagging its tail excitedly. The black dragon growled, showing its razor sharp fangs. Frodo gulped as a Balrog walked up behind the dragon, holding its ax and whip.

"I see...what will happen to them now?" he asked Gandalf.

Gandalf looked at the animals. "I am not sure. Sam could come back to the Shire, as the land is a perfect habitat for wolves. Pippin and Gimli, on the other hand, would have to live in the mountains since the area is most suitable for their species. Since Sam, Pippin and Gimli are now immortal, they cannot age or die."

Frodo nodded and sighed. "Can we leave now? I can't stand to be in Mordor any longer."

"Of course. We shall head to Minas Tirith to celebrate the end of the war."

The hobbit took one last look at Gimli, Pippin and Sam. He watched as the dragon spread its wings and flew into the sky, heading for the White City. Gandalf smiled and said a teleportation spell. A bright white light surrounded everyone including the wolf and Balrog. Seconds later, the light faded and they were gone.


	27. The Celebration

Chapter XXVII: The Celebration

Gandalf and Frodo appeared in front of Minas Tirith, along with Sam and Gimli. A roar came from the sky as Pippin landed next to them. The dragon saw Frodo and growled once more. The wolf and Balrog looked at Frodo with pride. Frodo looked at the animals and then turned to Gandalf.

"Will Sam, Pippin and Gimli have to stay out here?" he asked the wizard.

"Sam can come with us but Gimli and Pippin will have to stay outside; a Balrog and a dragon will likely cause panic in the city. A wolf such as Sam would not harm anyone, I assure you. Let us move on."

Frodo nodded and followed Gandalf into the city, the wolf walking behind them. A few minutes later they came to the throne room. Aragorn looked up when Gandalf came in. A smile appeared on his face as he saw Frodo.

"My dear Frodo, you have returned! We were worried that the war might have been lost, but here you are. free from Sauron's control at last!" Aragorn exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I am fine, Aragorn," Frodo said. "I heard that we were going to have a feast before I go back to the Shire."

Aragorn nodded. "Yes, that is true. I also see you brought Sam in here. Why is he still a wolf?"

Gandalf cleared his throat. "A spell was cast upon Pippin, Gimli and Sam. All of them have been permanently transformed into animals. Pippin is a dragon, Gimli is a Balrog and Sam is a wolf. Unfortunately, we cannot lift this spell. They are animals forever now."

"I see," Aragorn replied. He walked up to Sam and starting petting him. The wolf panted, wagging its tail happily. "Who cast the spell?" he asked Gandalf.

"Frodo did, when he was still under Sauron's control. It happened when we were fighting him and Sauron."

Aragorn stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Are you sure there is no way to transform them back to their original forms?"

"I've already tried," Gandalf said. "Unfortunately, the spell is so strong that they can't be turned back."

Aragorn walked up to Sam and started petting him. The wolf barked and wagged its tail happily. Aragorn sighed and smiled. "He seems to be happy. Do you know where the wolf will stay from now on?"

Gandalf nodded. "Sam will continue to live in the Shire, but only of the plains with other wolves."

"What about Pippin and Gimli?"

"They shall live in the mountains near the Mines of Moria. After this feast is over, I shall teleport them there."

Aragorn nodded in approval. "I suppose it is for the best." He walked past Gandalf and toward the dining room. "Come; there is a feast in Frodo's honor."

Frodo grinned and walked after Aragorn. Gandalf followed, cluckling slightly. Sam walked behind them, his four feet padding the ground softly. When they got to the dining room, a table was laid out with food as far as the eye could see. Legolas, Elrond, Arwen and Galadriel stood around the table, waiting for Frodo and Gandalf. When they saw them, they smiled.

"Welcome back, Frodo," Elrond told the hobbit. "This feast is to celebrate the end of the war."

Frodo hung his head. "I did many terrible things while under Sauron's control, and I apologize."

"There is nothing to apologize for, young hobbit. Sauron was controlling your mind; you had no free will. Don't blame yourself. Now, let us eat!"

They sat down and began to eat. Galadriel was talking to Gandalf about what might have happened if the war had not been won. Legolas and Aragorn discussed many things and often told jokes. As they were eating, Elrond stood up.

"I would like to propose a toast to Frodo. It is good to have him back. He means much to us, and without him nothing would be the same. The Dark Lord Sauron has finally been defeated, and Middle-Earth is at peace once more!"

"Hear hear!" Legolas yelled. Everyone laughed and went back to talking.

Frodo sat in silence and sighed. he got up and walked out to the balcony, looking out at Mordor. Galadriel saw him and walked out with him, putting her hand over his shoulder.

"Something troubles you; I can sense it," she said.

Frodo nodded. "I just can't help but to feel guilty about what happened. I caused many horrible things to happen while I was Gorthaur. Sauron and I almost destroyed Middle-Earth and we nearly succeded! If my friends hadn't set on a quest to free me, Middle-earth would be conquered."

Galadriel nodded her head. "True, many things happened during your time in Mordor. Thankfully, these things did not come to pass. do not dwell on the past, look to the present and future. remember when you almost failed on your quest to destroy the One Ring? You succeded, and because of you Middle-Earth was not threatened from Sauron. That is, until he was ressurected. But we won this war also. Do not think about what happened then; it will only cause pain in your life. Instead, think about all the good we have done. We freed you from Sauron's control, and defeated sauron for good this time."

Frodo sighed and wiped a tear from his eye. A smile formed on his face and he looked at Galadriel. "You are right. Middle-Earth is not threatened from any evil now; we have seen to that. Thank you for making me understand." He walked back into the room to join the feast, thinking about what Galadriel had said.


	28. Peace At Last

Chapter XXVIII: Peace At Last

The next day, everyone was getting ready to leave. Elrond, Galadriel and Legolas were heading back to Rivendell. Frodo was heading back to the Shire, accompanied by Sam. Gandalf stood beside him and the wolf, as he was going to teleport them back. Frodo looked at the wolf, who whined.

"Well Sam," he said to the wolf. "It's time to head back. I don't know if you can understand me, but we'll find you a nice home in the fields of the Shire. It sucks that you can't be human again but I hope you have a happy life as a wolf." He smiled and looked up as he saw a dragon descend and land next to them. A Balrog also walked up beside them, looking at Frodo with white eyes. The two animals both stared at the hobbit for a minute and them let out low rumbling growls.

Gandalf chuckled. "They have just came to say goodbye," he told the hobbit. "I have found them a nice place in the mountains for them to live. Now, I believe it is time to go."

Frodo nodded and looked at Aragorn. "Thank you for all you've done, my friend."

Aragorn smiled. "It was nothing. Maybe someday you can come visit me again."

Legolas also said goodbye before turning to Gandalf. He pulled the bat skin out from inside his cloak. "Is it okay if I keep this?" he asked the wizard. "I would very much like to transform into a bat using this."

Gandalf nodded. "You may. I have also enchanted it further so that the transformation is permanent. Would you like that?"

The elf thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded. "I would love to be a bat forever; it puts an entire new perspective on life. Should I transform now?"

"Go ahead. After you transform, why not go live somewhere else? The mountains are perfect for a bat's habitat."

Legolas nodded and put the bat skin over his body. Brown fur shot out from his skin and covered his entire body. His arms and hands started to spread outward as a leathery membrane formed and pushed the fingers out, making them webbed wings. A sharp pain was felt in his feet as he saw his toenails lengthen into sharp claws. The toes on his feet were changing also, merging together until he only had three toes. His legs started to move as they drew up behind his wings. He fell on his belly as a short tail burst from the back of his tailbone. His face began to change too. His ears became pointed, moving to the sides of his head and increasing his sense of sound. Next, his mouth and nose extended outward until he had a very short snout. Fangs replaced his human teeth and his vision increased dramatically.

Finally the transformation finished. Legolas was gone, and now a large bat creature took his place. The bat flapped its wings, hovering in the air. Elrond looked at in in fascination.

"Legolas has chosen a new life. I do not blame him; he has recently been stressed about the elven life. Thank you for giving him this opportunity, Gandalf."

The wizard nodded.

Elrond turned to Frodo and smiled. "You are welcome in Rivendell anytime, halfling."

Frodo thanked them before walking up to Gandalf. He waved at them once more before leaving. Gandalf said a teleportation spell and in a flash of light they were gone.

* * *

Gandalf and Frodo appeared in a mountainous region. The wolf, bat, Balrog and dragon had also been teleported.

"What are we doing here, Gandalf?" Frodo asked.

"Pippin, Legolas and Gimli must find a new place to live. I figured the mountains would suit them, since bats, dragons and Balrogs usually live there."

Frodo nodded. "Which mountain region are we in, anyway?"

"We are in the Misty Mountains," Gandalf told him. He turned to look at the Balrog and dragon. They looked at him and growled. The wizard took a deep breath and sighed. "You two must live your own lives now," he said. "Go and find a place to live; we shall be along shortly."

The dragon that was Pippin flapped its wings and flew into the sky. It hovered for a moment, saw a cave in the distance, and flew towards the mountain, landing in front of it. Frodo, Gandalf and the Balrog followed the dragon as it entered the cave. The dragon looked around cautiously and walked deeper into the cave until it could no longer could be seen. The Balrog and bat followed the massive creature from a distance, also entering the mountain to find a place to live.

Frodo watched the three animals leave and looked at Gandalf. "Are they going to be okay?" he asked.

Gandalf nodded. "They'll be fine. From now on, they are wild animals. Pippin, Legolas and Gimli will no doubt enjoy their new life." The wizard let out a deep sigh and tightened his grip on his staff. "Come; it is time to go back to the Shire." He concentrated, causing a bright white light to surround himself, Frodo and the wolf. A few seconds later, the light faded and they were gone.

* * *

The hobbit, wizard and wolf arrived at the Shire. Frodo looked around and sighed heavily. A smile broke across his face, and he looked at Gandalf. The wizard noticed and smiled back.

"Welcome home, Frodo." Gandalf said.

Frodo sighed and a smile formed on his face. He walked down the road, taking in the sights of his familiar homeland. Sam and Gandalf walked beside him. They came to a large field near the forest and stopped. Gandalf cleared his throat and spoke.

"It is time to say goodbye to Sam, Frodo. He must live in the forest from now on."

"Will I get to see him now and then?"

Gandalf nodded.

Frodo looked at the wolf and petted it. "Goodbye, Sam. I hope you live a good life as a wolf," he said. Sam barked happily and walked through the field until he reached the forest. The wolf gave one last look at Frodo sadly. Then it dashed into the forest and was gone. A loud howl could be heard and then faded.

The hobbit sighed and looked at Gandalf, smiling. "He'll adjust to his new life, right?"

Gandalf smiled. "Yes, I'm sure he will. Since Sam, Gimli, Legolas and Pippin are animals now, they will no doubt be happy. Also, they are immortal, so they will live forever."

Frodo looked confused. "How did they become immortal?"

"Dragons, bats werewolves and Balrogs are immortal because they are magical creatures. Since the transformation is now permanent, Pippin, Legolas, Sam and Gimli have gained all the abilities and instincts of the animals they transformed into."

The hobbit nodded in understanding. "I better get going now; it is getting late."

"I shall visit often. Do not forget that your friends and allies are there for you."

Frodo thanked him. Gandalf closed his eyes and vanished in a flash of white light. Once the wizard was gone, Frodo stood on the hill overlooking the Shire and walked to his home. Once he got inside, he sat down at a table and looked out the window, thinking about everything that had happened over the past year and a half. If it were not for his friends, he would never would have broken free from Sauron's control. But that had not happened, and he was grateful for that. He smiled happily, glad that Sauron was finally vanquished and the war had been won.

There was peace in Middle-Earth at last.


End file.
